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Now is not the time to limit people’s access to telehealth services

Recent decisions by the Australian Government have potentially negative consequences for women, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis. 

Here’s how. At the beginning of the pandemic, the Government acted quickly to broaden the Medicare Benefits Schedule around telehealth services, allowing GPs and other health professionals to use Medicare item numbers for new patients.

Health, Poverty and the Corona Supplement

The Federal Government is moving to change the JobSeeker payment from $550 to $250 a fortnight. This supplement should not be cut back.

Before this supplement, the payment for a single, unemployed person with no dependents was $565.70 per fortnight – far below the poverty line.

Telehealth – virtually impossible?

It has long been said that telehealth is a great way of getting our health needs met, especially in rural communities. But let’s face it, our health care professionals didn’t use it and we didn’t like the thought of it. Then COVID happened.

The Impact of Coming Out of Lockdown

We’re living through an extraordinary social experiment. Over the last couple of months up to one third of the world’s population has been in lockdown or quarantine. THAT is a story to tell our grandchildren. (‘YES NANNA! I was there, remember?’)

Why are women more at risk from poker machines?

By Margie Law

Margie is a senior policy analyst at Anglicare Tasmania’s Social Action and Research Centre. She has been researching and advocating on gambling policy for 20 years.

Why are women more vulnerable than men to poker machines?